Sugar cane growers in the Bundaberg and Mackay districts have differing rates of adoption for improved land management practices, which influence the quality of water flowing into the sea near the Great Barrier Reef.

Previous studies have looked at technical innovation and the different terrain and 'bio-physical' conditions at play, but now a CQUniversity researcher is also looking at social, economic and cultural factors.

Dr Delwar Akbar

"Ideas not only come from the top down, but also from the bottom up," says Dr Delwar Akbar, who has won a large research grant with the Reef Rescue Research and Development Program from the Commonwealth Government.

Delwar and his co-researchers in our Centre for Environmental Management will be working over the next two years to better understand the factors influencing differing adoption rates for land management practices.

It all fits into a broader focus on resource and regional planning and management, which has encompassed other recent studies including liveability in the Mackay region, service optimisation in the Moura area and a regional housing model for the Bowen Basin recognising mining impacts on labour forces.

Originally from Bangladesh, Delwar completed his Masters and PhD research at UQ and also worked as a research officer and teaching assistant in Brisbane before transferring to CQUniversity a few years ago.